Newsletter

Clay County hiring back about 30 teachers

The Clay County School Board voted Thursday to hire back about 30 elementary teachers whose 2009-10 positions were eliminated this year when the board faced a projected $40 million shortfall.

The $1.8 million in budget "add backs" stem from the infusion of federal economic stimulus funds to Florida's education funding, school district officials said.

The board approved the action unanimously with little discussion.

"I would like to bring back all the positions," said board Chairman Charles Van Zant Jr. "But I'm still a little nervous about the budget."

Also, the board reinstated numerous assistant principals to 12-month employees. They had been reduced to 11-month pay as a budget-cutting measure.

Elizabeth Crane, president of Clay County Education Association, which represents the county's teachers, told the Times-Union that the group was "obviously ... very excited" about the jobs being restored.

But she said they remained upset that some teachers who were not laid off were shifted from one school to another, which turned out to be unnecessary with the rehirings.

The restored elementary positions are so-called "resource" teachers - music, art, drama, instructional technology and reading teachers, as well as media specialists. Those jobs were among about 450 positions eliminated in the instructional, support and administrative rolls when the board imposed budget-cutting measures in March.

Since then, the stimulus funds reduced Clay schools' expected shortfall to about $20 million, allowing the district to undo some of the budget cuts. In May, the board added back one regular education teacher position that had been cut at each elementary school.